Happy Solstice and the First Day of Winter

As the tail goes, in the North, on this day, the Sun shines brightly over the land, and for one moment all will see it through the clouds. No matter how stormy it is, the clouds will part long enough to let in the light, to signal the return of longer days. Today, was no exception. Driving to work, I saw the Moon casting its light through the clouds, to the West, and what a sight that was. The Moon rays were like curtains of light fanning out over the mountains, and through the valley. And later on in the day, the Sun happily rose into the sky, just enough to see it over the trees, as its ark-path through the sky will be it lowest of the year, a mere 26 degrees above the horizon.

Oh yes, the photo of the day, like all the times before, on Winter Solstice, I take photos. Here is my pick of the day. It is cool out, around minus 2C, so everything outside has a frosty coating of ice crystals on it.

Today should mark the beginning of the year. Why I say this? Because the days get long after today. I never understood the logic of placing our calendar start date in January. But hey, when you standardize the calendar, fitting it to your morays and myths, then you clinch the culture that follows it. I say we should adopt Sidereal time from now on, so that no government or organization can tamper with time, at anytime!

The Moon shines bright tonight. It is damn near a Full Moon tonight. For an hour, my bedroom was flooded with moon light, as the clouds parted for a few hours in the early night. Like this morning, tonight’s Moon, is almost full, and hangs high in the sky. I can easily see the snow caps top of the mountain from my window, and the clear outlines of the hazy clouds streaking through the sky.

So Happy Solstice, and may your happiness grow with each progressive day until summer Solstice.